Systems and methods for providing user-controlled automobile financing

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are disclosed for providing approved financing in advance of a purchase to a buyer of an item, such as an automobile, and allowing the prospective buyer to maintain control over the financing throughout the sales process. According to disclosed embodiments, a financial service system configures a financing website for the buyer, and receives personal information as well as information relating to the desired item. The financial service system approves loan parameters for the buyer, and provides the user with a link to access the financing website on a mobile device while at a dealership. Financing parameters can thus be edited throughout the process until the final sales agreement, providing the buyer with confidence and flexibility in the buying process.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/826,956, filed Nov. 30, 2017, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/445,519, filed Jul. 29, 2014, which claims thebenefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/860,000,filed Jul. 30, 2013, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entirety.

FIELD

The disclosed embodiments generally relate to financing sales of itemsand, in particular, providing buyers of automobiles the ability tosecure advanced approval of financing for their purchase while retainingcontrol of their financing throughout the process.

BACKGROUND

Advances in the financial and information technology industries havetransformed the way items, such as automobiles, are bought and sold.Automobiles, for example, were once almost exclusively purchased after aprospective buyer ventured onto the lot of the local car dealership. Thedealer generally controlled the entire sales process, and there waslittle transparency in the process for the buyer. Buyers typically hadno choice but to defer to whatever financing options and terms thedealer offered.

The digital revolution has lifted the veil on many aspects of theautomobile purchase process. Buyers now possess power and leverage thatthey previously lacked, including increased ability to shop around andhave dealers compete for their business. Buyers may even have theability to secure approved financing from a financial service providerbefore even setting foot on the dealer's lot. In many cases however,even financing approved in advance lacks flexibility. If a buyer'spersonal circumstances change after the approval process, or even ifthey simply change their mind and select a different car than the onefor which they received approval, power once again shifts to the dealer,who can alter the previously approved financing to make more profit atthe buyer's expense.

Accordingly, a need exists in the current marketplace to provide buyersof items, particularly automobiles, the ability to be approved inadvance for financing yet retain the ability to modify terms of thefinancing up through completion of the sale.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods described herein enable a computer system to providebuyers of items, such as automobiles, the ability to secure advancedapproval for financing for their purchase while retaining control oftheir financing throughout the process. In one embodiment, a computingsystem may receive an indication that a buyer seeks to secure approvedloan financing to purchase an item in advance of the purchase.Additionally, the computing system may receive personal informationassociated with the buyer. The computing system may perform a riskassessment of the prospective buyer based on the received personalinformation. Further, the computing system may provide qualificationinformation to the prospective buyer, wherein the qualificationinformation comprises at least an approved loan amount and a range ofpossible interest rates for the financed loan. The computing system mayalso receive information relating to a specific item that the buyerseeks to purchase using the approved loan amount, and may provideadditional financing information associated with the specific item.Additionally, the computing system may match the buyer with a dealer forthe specific item, and provide the buyer with remote access to thefinancing information, wherein the buyer retains the ability to alterterms of the financing during a negotiation with the dealer.

In another embodiment, a method for providing financing for a sale of anitem in the form of a loan is disclosed. The method includes receivingan indication that a buyer seeks to secure approved loan financing topurchase an item in advance of the purchase. Additionally, the methodcomprises receiving personal information associated with the buyer. Themethod also includes performing, via one or more processors, a riskassessment of the prospective buyer based on the received personalinformation. Further, the method comprises providing qualificationinformation to the prospective buyer, wherein the qualificationinformation comprises at least an approved loan amount and a range ofpossible interest rates for the financed loan. The method also comprisesreceiving information relating to a specific item that the buyer seeksto purchase using the approved loan amount, and providing additionalfinancing information associated with the specific item. Additionally,the method includes matching, via the one or more processors, the buyerwith a dealer for the specific item, and providing the buyer with remoteaccess to the financing information, wherein the buyer retains theability to alter terms of the financing during a negotiation with thedealer.

In yet another embodiment, a computing system may receive an indicationthat a buyer seeks to purchase a specific item using approved financingfrom a financial service provider. Additionally, the computing systemmay perform a risk assessment of the prospective buyer. The computingsystem may further determine whether the specific item is available forpurchase. Also, the computing system may access information relating tothe buyer's approved financing, and may execute a sales agreement forpurchase of the item based on the accessed information.

Additional objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will beset forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will beapparent from the description, or may be learned by practice of theembodiments. The objects and advantages of the disclosed embodiments maybe realized and attained by the elements and combinations set forth inthe claims.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory onlyand are not restrictive of the disclosed embodiments, as claimed. Forexample, the methods relating to the disclosed embodiments may beimplemented in system environments outside of the exemplary systemenvironments disclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and aspectsof the disclosed embodiments and, together with the description, serveto explain the principles of the disclosed embodiments. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system consistent with disclosedembodiments;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary buyer qualification processconsistent with disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary specific item approval processconsistent with disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary dealer matching process consistentwith disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of an exemplary dealer sales agreement processconsistent with disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of an exemplary remote dealer financing processconsistent with disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of an exemplary financing and payment processconsistent with disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 8 is an exemplary user interface for submitting buyer informationthat may be provided by the disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 9 is an exemplary user interface for submitting specific iteminformation that may be provided by the disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 10 is an exemplary user interface for receiving approval for aspecific item that may be provided by the disclosed embodiments;

FIG. 11 is an exemplary user interface for providing dealer informationthat may be provided by the disclosed embodiments; and

FIG. 12 is an exemplary user interface for providing a summary of thefinancing process that may be provided by the disclosed embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to disclosed embodiments, examplesof which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Whereverconvenient, the same reference numbers will be used throughout thedrawings to refer to the same or like parts.

Generally, disclosed embodiments are directed to systems and methods forproviding buyers of an item requiring financing the ability to secureflexible advanced approval of financing for their purchase whileretaining control of their financing throughout the process. For ease ofdiscussion, embodiments may be described in connection with the sale ofautomobiles. It is to be understood, however, that disclosed embodimentsare not limited to the sale of automobiles and may, in fact, be appliedto the sale, auctioning, etc. of any item, product, or service. Further,steps or processes disclosed herein are not limited to being performedin the order described, but may be performed in any order, and somesteps may be omitted, consistent with the disclosed embodiments.

The features and other aspects and principles of the disclosedembodiments may be implemented in various environments. Suchenvironments and related applications may be specifically constructedfor performing the various processes and operations of the disclosedembodiments or they may include a general purpose computer or computingplatform selectively activated or reconfigured by program code toprovide the necessary functionality. The processes disclosed herein maybe implemented by a suitable combination of hardware, software, and/orfirmware. For example, the disclosed embodiments may implement generalpurpose machines that may be configured to execute software programsthat perform processes consistent with the disclosed embodiments.Alternatively, the disclosed embodiments may implement a specializedapparatus or system configured to execute software programs that performprocesses consistent with the disclosed embodiments. Furthermore,although some disclosed embodiments may be implemented by generalpurpose machines as computer processing instructions, all or a portionof the functionality of the disclosed embodiments may be implementedinstead in dedicated electronics hardware.

The disclosed embodiments also relate to tangible and non-transitorycomputer readable media that include program instructions or programcode that, when executed by one or more processors, perform one or morecomputer-implemented operations. The program instructions or programcode may include specially designed and constructed instructions orcode, and/or instructions and code well-known and available to thosehaving ordinary skill in the computer software arts. For example, thedisclosed embodiments may execute high level and/or low level softwareinstructions, such as machine code (e.g., such as that produced by acompiler) and/or high level code that can be executed by a processorusing an interpreter.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary system 100 consistent with disclosedembodiments. In one aspect, system environment 100 may include afinancial service system 110, buyer system 120, dealer system 130, andnetwork 140.

Financial service system 110 may be a system associated with one or moreentities that configure, offer, provide, and/or manage financial serviceaccounts, such as credit card accounts, debit card accounts, checking orsavings accounts, and loan accounts. As used throughout this disclosure,a “loan” or “loan account” may include any form of financing provided toa prospective buyer of an item, including retail installment contracts,direct financing, personal loans, or any other means of providingfinancing known in the art. Consistent with the disclosure, financialservice system 110 may provide a loan account for financing a purchaseto one or more consumers operating buyer system 120. In someembodiments, financial service system 110 may receive and processpayments from consumers (via, e.g., buyer system 120) relating toprovided financial service accounts. Financial service system 110 mayalso process other funds and payments related to a sale, such astransmitting funds comprising the sales price of the item or service todealer system 130. Financial service system 110 may be configured toassess the creditworthiness and risk presented by a prospective carbuyer in real-time or substantially real-time, and to offer differentfinancing packages depending on those assessments.

Financial service system 110 may include one or more components thatperform processes consistent with the disclosed embodiments. Forexample, financial service system 110 may include one or more computers(e.g., servers, database systems, etc.) configured to execute softwareinstructions programmed to perform aspects of the disclosed embodiments,such as generating financial service accounts, maintaining accounts,processing information relating to accounts, etc. Consistent withdisclosed embodiments, financial service system 110 may include othercomponents and infrastructure that enable it to perform operations,processes, and services consistent with financial service accountproviders, such as banking operations, credit card operations, loanoperations, etc. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, financialservice system 110 may be configured to provide, manage, monitor, andassess a financing program for a sales transaction between a buyer and acar dealer.

Buyer system 120 may represent a system associated with an entityseeking to buy an item from another party. Although the followingdescription of disclosed embodiments may refer to an “individual,” it isto be understood that the same description applies to multiple buyersacting in concert or to a buyer entity in the manner described above.Buyer system 120 may include one or more components that performprocesses consistent with the disclosed embodiments. For example, buyersystem 120 may include one or more computers (e.g., servers, databasesystems, etc.) that are configured to execute software instructionsprogrammed to perform aspects of the disclosed embodiments. One ofordinary skill in the art would recognize that buyer system 120 mayinclude components and infrastructure that enable it to performoperations, processes, and services such as processing salestransactions of purchases made over the Internet or at POS locations,and communicating with financial service system 110 or other componentsrelating to the transactions. Buyer system 120 may be configured topurchase an item, transmit and receive information associated with thepurchase transaction, and process and monitor a loan account associatedwith financing the purchase transaction.

Dealer system 130 may represent a system associated with an entityseeking to sell an item to another party. Although the followingdescription of certain embodiments may refer to an “individual,” oneskilled in the art would appreciate that the same description applies tomultiple dealers acting in concert or to a dealer entity in the mannerdescribed above. In the example of automobiles, in some embodiments,multiple dealerships of different brands of automobile may be groupedtogether in dealer system 130. The multiple dealerships may be owned bythe same entity or different entities. In other embodiments, multipledealerships of the same brand of automobile may be grouped together indealer system 130. Dealer system 130 may include components andinfrastructure that enable it to perform operations, processes, andservices consistent with merchants, such as providing websites thatoffer for sale goods and/or services, processing sales transactions ofpurchases made over the Internet or at POS locations, and communicatingwith financial service system 110 or other components relating to thetransactions. Consistent with disclosed embodiments, dealer system 130may be configured to provide financing to the buyer of an item andprocess the sales transaction.

Inventory database 135 may represent one or more storage devices and/orsystems that maintain data used by dealer system 130. Inventory database135 may include one or more processing components (e.g., storagecontroller, processor, etc.) that perform various data transfer andstorage operations consistent with features consistent with thedisclosed embodiments. In some aspects, inventory database 135 may beassociated with an independent entity that provides database servicesfor one or more components of system environment 100, consistent withthe disclosed embodiments, or for one or more similar dealer systems 130in other system environments outside of system environment 100.Inventory database 135 may be an internal component to dealer system130, as depicted in FIG. 1, or it may be an external device accessibleby dealer system 130.

In one embodiment, inventory database 135 may store items listed forsale by entities such as dealer system 130. These listings may containinformation about the items for sale, the dealer systems 130 themselves,and financing information provided by dealer system 130 and/or financialservice system 110. These and other components of system environment100, including buyer system 120, may be configured to interface withinventory database 135 via network 140 or other communicationmechanisms.

Consistent with disclosed embodiments, components of system 100,including financial service system 110, buyer system 120, and dealersystem 130, may include one or more processors (such as processors 111,121, or 131) as shown in exemplary form in FIG. 1. The processors may beone or more known processing devices, such as a microprocessor from thePentium™ family manufactured by Intel™ or the Turion™ familymanufactured by AMD™. The processor may include a single core ormultiple core processor system that provides the ability to performparallel processes simultaneously. For example, the processors may besingle core processors configured with virtual processing technologiesknown to those skilled in the art. In certain embodiments, theprocessors may use logical processors to simultaneously execute andcontrol multiple processes. The processors may implement virtual machinetechnologies, or other similar known technologies to provide the abilityto execute, control, run, manipulate, store, etc. multiple softwareprocesses, applications, programs, etc. In some embodiments, theprocessors may include a multiple-core processor arrangements (e.g.,dual or quad core) configured to provide parallel processingfunctionalities to enable computer components of financial servicesystem 110, buyer system 120, and/or dealer system 130 to executemultiple processes simultaneously. Other types of processor arrangementscould be implemented that provide for the capabilities disclosed herein.Moreover, the processors may represent one or more servers or othercomputing devices that are associated with financial service system 110,buyer system 120, and/or dealer system 130. For instance, the processorsmay represent a distributed network of processors configured to operatetogether over a local or wide area network. Alternatively, theprocessors may be a processing device configured to execute softwareinstructions that receive and send information, instructions, etc.to/from other processing devices associated with financial serviceprovider 110 or other components of system environment 100. In certainaspects, processors 111, 121, and 131 may be configured to executesoftware instructions stored in memory to perform one or more processesconsistent with disclosed embodiments.

Consistent with disclosed embodiments, components of system 100,including financial service system 110, buyer system 120, and dealersystem 130, may also include one or more memory devices (such asmemories 112, 122, and 132) as shown in exemplary form in FIG. 1. Thememory devices may store software instructions that are executed byprocessors 111, 121, and 131, such as one or more applications, networkcommunication processes, operating system software, softwareinstructions relating to the disclosed embodiments, and any other typeof application or software known to be executable by processing devices.The memory devices may be a volatile or non-volatile, magnetic,semiconductor, tape, optical, removable, nonremovable, or other type ofstorage device or tangible computer-readable medium. The memory devicesmay be two or more memory devices distributed over a local or wide areanetwork, or may be a single memory device. In certain embodiments, thememory devices may include database systems, such as database storagedevices, one or more database processing devices configured to receiveinstructions to access, process, and send information stored in thestorage devices.

In some embodiments, financial service system 110, buyer system 120, anddealer system 130 may also include one or more additional components(not shown) that provide communications with other components of systemenvironment 100, such as through network 140, or any other suitablecommunications infrastructure.

Network 140 may be any type of network that facilitates communicationsand data transfer between components of system environment 100, such as,for example, financial service system 110, buyer system 120, and dealersystem 130. Network 140 may be a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide AreaNetwork (WAN), such as the Internet, and may be a single network or acombination of networks. Further, network 140 may reflect a single typeof network or a combination of different types of networks, such as theInternet and public exchange networks for wireline and/or wirelesscommunications. Network 140 may utilize cloud computing technologiesthat are familiar in the marketplace. Moreover, any part of network 140may be implemented through traditional infrastructures or channels oftrade, to permit operations associated with financial accounts that areperformed manually or in-person by the various entities illustrated inFIG. 1. Network 140 is not limited to the above examples and system 100may implement any type of network that allows the entities (and othersnot shown) included in FIG. 1 to exchange data and information.

Although FIG. 1 describes a certain number of entities andprocessing/computing components within system environment 100, anynumber or combination of components may be implemented without departingfrom the scope of the disclosed embodiments. For example, differentdealer systems 130 may interact with one or more buyer systems 120through network 140 or standard channels of trade, such as face-to-facepurchase transactions. In another example, different financial servicesystems 110 may interact with one or more buyer systems 120 and dealersystems 130 through network 140 or standard channels of trade.Additionally, financial service system 110, buyer system 120, and dealersystem 130 are not mutually exclusive. For example, in one disclosedembodiment, financial service system 110 and dealer system 130 may bethe same entity or affiliated with the same entity. The entities asdescribed are not limited to their discrete descriptions above. Further,where different components of system environment 100 are combined (e.g.,financial service system 110 and dealer system 130, etc.), the computingand processing devices and software executed by these components may beintegrated into a local or distributed system.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary buyer qualification process 200consistent with disclosed embodiments. As an example, FIG. 2 isdisclosed in connection with financial service system 110, but it isunderstood that other components may perform processes to qualify aprospective buyer, such as dealer system 130. Financial service system110 may configure a financing website (Step 210), which may be a websiteaccessible to the public. In some embodiments, the financing website maybe deployed as part of a stand-alone kiosk or other such unit within abrick and mortar banking location. The brick and mortar location may beassociated with financial service system 110. In alternativeembodiments, the stand-alone kiosk may be situated within a locationassociated with dealer system 130, or at a location affiliated withother merchants, such as an automobile trade show or a retail shoppingmall. Financial service system 110 may make dealer systems 130 andprospective buyer systems 120 aware of the financing website viaadvertising, telephonic, postal, or electronic communication means, orby any other suitable means of communication.

Financial service system 110 may receive information about the user orusers associated with buyer system 120 who seek to make a purchase viathe financing website (Step 220). The information received may include,for example, name, address, social security or other government IDnumber, credit history, employment information, financial history, andfinancial service account information. In some embodiments, theinformation received may include digital or physical copies ofgovernment-issued identification, such as a driver's license, socialsecurity card, passport, etc. In some embodiments, the receivedinformation may include proof of income, and may be received in the formof a digital or physical copy of a pay stub, paycheck, human resourcesdocument, tax return, etc. In some embodiments, financial service system110 may require and receive personal or business references from buyersystem 120. Financial service system 110, however, may prompt for moreor less information, based on characteristics of the user associatedwith buyer system 120, geographical location, legal restrictions, or anyother concern or consideration relating to the business of financialservice system 110.

Financial service system 110 may generate or receive a risk assessment,or other similar creditworthiness analysis, associated with the user orusers of buyer system 120 using the information received from buyersystem 120 (Step 230). Financial service system 110 may utilizeadditional internal information associated with buyer system 120 storedin memory 121 to perform the risk assessment. In some embodiments,financial service system 110 may access additional informationassociated with buyer system 120 on external servers via network 140,such as those associated with well-known credit bureaus. In someembodiments, the risk assessment may include a further evaluation offraud risk presented by the prospective buyer, using predeterminedcriteria such as past criminal history, past financial history, etc.Financial service system 110 may additionally be configured to perform averification step in which financial service system 110 may prompt buyersystem 120 to verify the information received in Step 220. Financialservice system 110 may require buyer system 120 to submit additionalinformation, or to stipulate to the veracity of any and all informationpreviously received.

Financial service system 110 may use the information received from buyersystem 120, the results of the risk assessment of Step 230, and otherpredefined criteria to determine whether or not to accept theprospective buyer into the approved financing program (Step 240).Financial service system 110 may determine not to accept the prospectivebuyer into the program (Step 240; NO) based on the received information,and if so, buyer system 120 may proceed to negotiate and finance atransaction with dealer system 130 through alternative means.

Financial service system 110 may determine to accept the prospectivebuyer associated with buyer system 120 into the financing program (Step240; YES). Financial service system 110 may notify buyer system 120 ofthe acceptance through telephonic, postal, or electronic communicationmeans, or by any suitable well-known means of communication. In someembodiments, the acceptance and approval may occur instantly; inalternative embodiments, the acceptance, approval, and subsequentnotification may occur at a later time. In some embodiments, financialservice system 110 may determine that additional information is requiredin order to make the determination of whether or not to accept buyersystem 120 into the approved financing program. In these embodiments,financial service system 110 may request the additional information frombuyer system 120 through telephonic, postal, or electronic communicationmeans.

If the prospective buyer associated with buyer system 120 is accepted,financial service system 110 may provide resources and informationassociated with initial qualification to buyer system 120 to assist withthe purchase of the item (Step 250). The resources and information mayinclude, as non-limiting examples, a maximum financing amount for whichthe prospective buyer is approved, a value or range of values ofpotential interest rates for a financed loan (which may be expressed interms of annual percentage rate (APR %)), and an indicia which theprospective buyer may provide to a dealer system 130 to indicateapproval. The indicia may be presented as an approval code, and mayserve as a reference number for the approved financing within, forexample, memories 112, 122, and 132 of the various components of systemenvironment 100. In some embodiments, the maximum financing amount forwhich the buyer is approved may vary from the actual amount eventuallylent to the buyer based on the particular vehicle chosen by theprospective buyer. For example, if financial service system 110indicates to buyer system 120 that the approval amount is $30,000, andbuyer system 120 ends up purchasing a car valued at $15,000, the amountlent may be significantly less than the full approved amount. But if thebuyer purchases a car for $30,000, the full approved amount may be lentto buyer system 120.

The prospective buyer associated with buyer system 120 may choose tocontinue the purchase transaction on-site at dealer system 130 with theinitial qualification information, or may opt to obtain more specificapproval and more detailed information about the item to be purchased.FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary specific item approval process 300consistent with disclosed embodiments. As an example, FIG. 3 isdisclosed in connection with financial service system 110, but it isunderstood that other components may perform processes to assist aprospective buyer in seeking information and approval for a specificautomobile make and model, such as dealer system 130. Using thefinancing website configured in process 200, financial service system110 may prompt buyer system 120 for specific identification informationrelating to the desired automobile (Step 310). The specific informationmay be related to a particular make of automobile, a particular model,or a particular set of features and options for the car. The informationmay be related to the age of the car, such as its model year, or itsmileage. The information may be related to price, such as maximum priceof the car, a range of prices, or to a promotion or incentive offerprovided by dealer system 130. In some embodiments the identifyinginformation may relate to geographic location. In some embodiments, theinformation may pertain to whether the car is new or used. Theinformation may comprise a combination of any or all of these examples,which are non-limiting. After prompting buyer system 120 for therelevant information, financial service system 110 may receive theinformation (Step 320). The information may be received through thepreviously configured financing website, but may also be received byother means, such as by telephonic means, electronic mail, or postalmail.

Using the received information, financial service system 110 maydetermine more specific qualifying information relating to the buyer'sdesired item (Step 330). The information determined may include, asnon-limiting examples, information relating to an automobile of aspecific make, model, year, and trim package. With respect to thatparticular car, financial service system 110 may determine the portionof the purchase price of the car eligible for financing (up to andincluding the full purchase price, plus additional costs such as tax,title, license fees, gap insurance, warranties, etc.). Additionally,financial service system 110 may determine a particular monthly paymentamount and APR % associated with a financing loan for that particularcar. Financial service system 110, however, may determine more or lessspecific qualifying information relating to the buyer's desired item.

Financial service system 110 may communicate the determined informationto buyer system 120 (Step 340). The communication may occurinstantaneously upon completion of the determination, or may occur at alater time. The communication may again occur through the previouslyconfigured financing website associated with financial service system110, including through a mobile application configured for a mobiledevice associated with the financing website, or it may occur bytelephone, electronic mail, SMS message, or postal mail.

Process 300 may be repeated multiple times by the prospective buyer togain specific approval information relating to a number of differentspecific cars. The information may be stored in memory 112 and/or memory122, and be remotely accessible by any component system of systemenvironment 100. Financial service system 110 may configure an accountor online presence associated with buyer system 120, under whichapproval information can be stored for a set or indefinite amount oftime. The prospective buyer may choose to continue the purchasetransaction on-site at dealer system 130 with the initial qualificationinformation and the specific item qualification information, or may optto gain further information about potential dealer systems 130. If thisfurther information is desired, financial service system 110 may performa dealer matching process (Step 350), which will now be described inassociation with FIG. 4.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary dealer matching process 400, consistentwith disclosed embodiments. Dealer matching process 400, as well as anyor all of the individual steps therein, may be performed by any one ormore of financial service system 110, buyer system 120, or dealer system130. For exemplary purposes, FIG. 4 is disclosed as being performed byfinancial service system 110.

Financial service system 110 may receive or access initial qualifyinginformation associated with buyer system 120 determined using process200, and/or specific item qualification information determined inprocess 300 (Step 410). The information may be retrieved from internalmemory 112, or accessed via network 140 from an account configured forbuyer system 120 on the previously configured financing website.

Financial service system 110 may determine a set of dealer systems 130that desire to participate in the approved financing program (Step 420).In some embodiments, a given dealer system 130 may contact financialservice system 110 indicating willingness to participate in the program.In other embodiments, financial service system 110 may contact one ormore dealer systems 130 to inquire about participation in the program orparticipation in a particular approved financing deal for a particularprospective buyer. In some embodiments, financial service system 110 maygenerate a set of eligibility criteria that dealer systems 130 must meetin order to participate in the approved financing program. Theeligibility criteria may include, but not be limited to, size of thedealership associated with the system 130, gross sales figures, salesfigures for a particular subset of cars (i.e., number of pickup truckssold, number of a certain make and model sold, etc.), location,available inventory, etc. In some embodiments, financial service system110 may additionally generate a set of rules and/or standards forparticipating dealer systems 130. Financial service system 110 mayrequire assent to the rules and standards by each dealer system 130 inorder to participate in the approved financing program, and may executean agreement memorializing that assent. In these embodiments, financialservice system 110 may be configured to monitor the compliance of eachdealer system 130 with the assented eligibility criteria, rules, and/orstandards, and may remove a dealer system 130 from the approvedfinancing program if they are not in compliance. For participatingdealer systems 130, financial service system 110 may compile basiccontact information, including, but not limited to, an online webaddress, telephone number, contact person, available inventory,appointment calendars, etc., and store that information in memory 112.

Financial service system 110 may also determine a smaller subset of theparticipating dealers that have the prospective buyer's desired car intheir inventory (Step 430). In some embodiments, financial servicesystem 110 may transmit the desired car information to eachparticipating dealer system 130, and then receive back responses fromdealer systems 130 as to whether the dealer has the car in currentinventory or could get one in a predetermined amount of time. In someembodiments, financial service system 110 may additionally transmitinformation associated with buyer system 120, such as the amount thebuyer is approved for, proposed APR % on the loan, etc. The informationassociated with buyer system 120 may include the approval indicia orcode provided to buyer system 120 during buyer qualification process200.

In some embodiments, participating dealer systems 130 may periodicallytransmit information associated with their inventory to financialservice system 110. The information may be sent in list form, indatabase form, or in any other form compatible with financial servicesystem 110. Dealer systems 130 may transmit updated inventory lists tofinancial service system 110 at various predetermined points in time,such as hourly, daily, weekly, or monthly. In these embodiments,financial service system 110 may be configured to aggregate the variousinventory lists received from the participating dealer systems 130, andmay provide the aggregated list to buyer system 120 for purposes offinding a participating dealership associated with one or more of thedealer systems 130.

In alternative embodiments, inventory database 135 associated withdealer system 130 may be configured to be available over network 140.Inventory database 135 may be publicly accessible, or may be private toa subset of entities such as financial service system 110. In theseembodiments, financial service system 110 may execute software processesto automatically search each inventory database 135 for the specificdesired car. Alternatively, financial service system 110 may manuallysearch the database 135 of each participating dealer system 130. Inalternative embodiments, the financing website configured by financialservice system 110 for buyer system 120 may contain a direct link tovarious inventory databases 135, and the databases may be searchabledirectly by financial service system 110, buyer system 120, or variousdealer systems 130. In some aspects, having direct links to inventorydatabases through the financing website may increase business optionsfor financial service system 110 and provide more attractive financingterms for buyer system 120, as each will possess more information aboutthe financing process and the inventory available. Further, havingdirect links to the databases may facilitate competition among dealersystems 130, as they try to undersell each other to secure buyer system120's business.

Financial service system 110 may communicate to buyer system 120matching dealer systems 130 that possess buyer system 120's desired carin their inventory (Step 440). The matching dealer systems 130 may beprovided to buyer system 120 in list form. In some embodiments, the listof matching dealer systems 130 may be provided to buyer system 120substantially instantly, or may be provided at a time in the future. Thelist of matching dealer systems 130 may include some or all of theadditional information determined by financial service system 110relating to the dealers, such as contact information, location, etc.

To further inform and equip buyer system 120, financial service systemmay provide additional visual representations of information associatedwith the matching dealer systems 130 (Step 450). For example, financialservice system 110 may generate a map for buyer system 120 displayingthe locations of matching dealer systems 130, and may display the map tobuyer system 120 in an electronic message or on the previouslyconfigured financing website. The visual information may additionallyinclude other relevant items, such as user ratings or reviews of thecandidate dealer systems 130, photographs of the specific desired car,photographs of a contact person associated with dealer system 130, orfunctionalities that give buyer system 120 additional options. Forexample, financial service system 110 may display a button that permitsbuyer system 120 to schedule an appointment or a test drive with dealersystem 130. Once made, the appointment request could be sent to dealersystem 130 for verification, or buyer system 120 may be able to directlymake the appointment within the computer systems of dealer system 130.

Once provided with the various information generated in processes 200,300, and 400, the prospective buyer associated with buyer system 120 maymake an appointment with a particular dealer system 130 (via, in someembodiments, buyer system 120) and visit the brick-and-mortar dealershipassociated with dealer system 130 in person. In some embodiments, at theconclusion of any or all of processes 200, 300, or 400, financialservice system 110 may provide buyer system 120 with a link to thepreviously configured financing website. In these embodiments, theprospective buyer associated with buyer system 120 will thus have theoption to continue to edit and alter the terms of the financing untilcompletion of the process. For example, if the prospective buyer decidesthat a different car in dealer system 130's inventory is desired, theycan access the financing website on a mobile device (such as a buyersystem 120, which may comprise one or more of a smartphone, tablet, ormobile computer system) and edit the desired car, add options and trimpackages, add a warranty, etc. Financial service system 110 may thenupdate the approved amounts and other terms of the loan based on the newinformation. The flexibility in this manner permits prospective buyersto maintain full control over their financing rather than surrenderingcontrol as soon as they step onto a dealership lot.

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary dealer sales agreement process that maytake place, consistent with disclosed embodiments. Sales agreementprocess 500, as well as any or all of the individual steps therein, maybe performed by one or more of financial service system 110 or dealersystem 130. For exemplary purposes, FIG. 5 is disclosed as beingperformed by dealer system 130.

Via network 140, dealer system 130 may receive an indication that theprospective buyer associated with buyer system 120 wants to make anappointment to discuss a specific car listed within inventory database135, as discussed above. Dealer system 130 may receive the indicationvia an electronic message sent via the financing website configured byfinancial service system 110. Dealer system 130 may receive anindication that the prospective buyer wishes to use an approval codeassociated with an approved loan financed by financial service system110 (Step 510). The indication may contain other associated information,such as personal information associated with buyer system 120 pertainingto creditworthiness, and/or information associated with the car that theprospective buyer wishes to purchase. In some embodiments, theindication may also be received substantially simultaneously byfinancial service system 110 and other dealer systems 130. In theseembodiments, financial service system 110 and the other dealer systems130 may transmit one or more notifications to buyer system 120 relatedto the indication. For example, a dealer system 130 other than the onetargeted initially by buyer system 120 may transmit a notification tothe prospective buyer that they can receive the same car at a lowerprice at their dealership, or a car with more options at the same priceas compared to the dealership the buyer originally targeted. Financialservice system 110 may also send such notifications, and mayadditionally in some embodiments send buyer system 120 notificationssuch as updates on inventory across several dealer systems 130.

Dealer system 130 may confirm the information associated with buyersystem 120 (Step 520). For example, dealer system 130 may contact theprospective buyer to confirm personal information, verify income,confirm the time of appointment, etc. Dealer system 130 may confirm thatthe desired car is indeed located within inventory database 135 and isphysically situated on the dealership's lot. Additionally, dealer system130 may confirm that the desired options, trim packages, etc. arepresent in the specified car. The specific car may be referenced by itsVehicle Identification Number (VIN), a CarFax® reference number, or areference number associated with the car within inventory database 135.In some embodiments, dealer system 130 may associate the specified carwith the approval indicia or code associated with buyer system 120, toeffectively “reserve” the car for buyer system 120 pending the buyer'sappointment.

Dealer system 130 may perform a second credit check on the prospectivebuyer associated with buyer system 120 to confirm credit details,particularly if time has passed since the buyer received advanceapproval (Step 530). The credit check may be substantially similar tothe initial credit check performed by financial service system 110discussed above in conjunction with buyer qualification process 200. Insome embodiments, dealer system 130 may access additional informationassociated with buyer system 120 on external servers via network 140,such as those associated with well-known credit bureaus, or thoseassociated with financial service system 110, or memory 112.

Upon confirmation of the prospective buyer's eligibility, dealer system130 may access the approved financing information associated with buyersystem 120 (Step 540). Financial system 110 may provide dealer system130 with a direct link to the previously configured financing website.In other embodiments, one or more of financial system 110 and buyersystem 120 may provide the approved financing information (such as theapproval amount and prospective APR % for the financed loan) to dealersystem 130 directly via a telephonic message, SMS text message,electronic mail message, or by postal mail. Dealer system 130 may accessthe approved financing information while meeting with the prospectivebuyer, or at a point in time prior to the meeting. Dealer system 130 maydownload the accessed information to an internal computing device, suchas memory 132, or may print out the information in hard copy.

Using the accessed approved financing information and informationrelating to buyer system 120 and the specific desired car, dealer system130 may execute a financing and sales agreement for purchase of theautomobile (Step 550). The sales agreement may be a standard contractbased on the applicable laws of the jurisdiction or jurisdictionsdetailing the rights and obligations of financial service system 110,buyer system 120, and dealer system 130. The sales agreement maydocument the steps of the purchase transaction, including logistics andtiming for transfer of the item, transfer of funds, and registration ofcollateral for a loan account associated with the purchase transaction.Buyer system 120 and/or dealer system 130 may provide an indication ofagreement to the provided sales agreement. In other embodiments, thebuyer system 120 and/or dealer system 130 may indicate modifications tothe provided sales agreement, particularly if late edits are made to theapproved financing by buyer system 120 using the mobile link to thefinancing website discussed previously. Upon execution of the salesagreement, buyer system 120, dealer system 130, and financial servicesystem 110 may approve the agreement and store finalized forms in theirrespective memory devices. Dealer system 130 may then transfer physicalpossession of the car to buyer system 120, and may further transmitdocuments and information relating to title and collateral to financialservice system 110. In some embodiments, financial service system 110may then contact buyer system 120 to configure a payment account forsetting up monthly payments on the loan.

In some embodiments, the features and functionalities associated withthe financing websites configured for various buyer systems 120 byfinancial service system 110 may be integrated with a website, mobileapplication, or other such online presence associated with dealer system130. FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary remote dealer financing processconsistent with certain disclosed embodiments. Process 600, as well asany or all of the individual steps therein, may be performed by any oneor more of financial service system 110 or dealer system 130. Forexemplary purposes, FIG. 6 is disclosed as being performed by dealersystem 130.

Dealer system 130 may configure an associated website, mobileapplication, or other such online presence to include features andfunctionalities of a financing website (Step 610). Dealer system 130 mayreceive assistance from financial service system 110 in configuring thewebsite. In other embodiments, financial service system 110 may providedealer system 130 with information and resources to permit one or moredealer systems 130 to configure their own websites. The information andresources may include marketing materials, website or internet portaltemplates, a dedicated web link to financing options, tailored emails,or tailored model listings designed for sites such as eBay®,Craigslist®, Cars.com®, or Edmunds®, etc. The resources provided todealer system 130 may further include a widget, frame, or othersoftware-based interface. The resources provided to dealer system 130may be configure to work with a mobile application on a mobile device.It is understood that the aforementioned resources are not limiting.

Dealer system 130 may receive an indication that a prospective buyerassociated with buyer system 120 desires to explore approved financingin advance of a purchase using dealer system 130's financing website.Upon receiving the indication, dealer system 300 may perform a buyerqualification process (Step 620). The buyer qualification process may besubstantially similar to buyer qualification process 200 describedpreviously in association with FIG. 2. In brief, dealer system 130 mayprompt buyer system 120 for information associated with the prospectivebuyer, such as identification, proof of employment and/or income, orreferences. Dealer system 130 may perform a risk assessment of theprospective buyer, such as a credit check. In these embodiments, dealersystem 130 may perform only a single credit check, or may perform onecredit check during the buyer qualification process and a second checkwhile completing the sales agreement. Dealer system 130 may determinewhether to approve the prospective buyer, and if approved, may provideinitial qualification information to buyer system 120, such as theapproved maximum purchase amount and a range of possible APR % for theloan. Dealer system 130 may provide buyer system 120 with an approvalindicia or code similar to that described previously in association withprocess 200.

After approving buyer system 120, dealer system 130 may receiveinformation relating to a specific car desired by the prospective buyer(Step 630) and may determine specific car qualification information(Step 640) in a manner similar to that described previously inassociation with specific item approval process 300 and FIG. 3. Inshort, the information determined may include, as non-limiting examples,information relating to an automobile of a specific make, model, year,and trim package. With respect to that particular car, dealer system130, potentially in consultation with financial service system 110, maydetermine the portion of the purchase price of the car eligible forfinancing (up to and including the full purchase price plus additionalcosts such as tax, title, license fees, gap insurance, warranties,etc.). Additionally, dealer system 110 may determine a particularmonthly payment amount and APR % associated with a financing loan forthat particular car. In some embodiments, the loan may be backed byfinancial service system 110. In other embodiments, dealer system 130may back the loan itself. Dealer system 130 may search inventorydatabase 135 for the user's desired car. In some embodiments, dealersystem 130 may contact other dealer systems 130, or search theirinventory databases 135 to attempt to find a car matching that desiredby buyer system 120.

Dealer system 130 may communicate the results of the specific cardetermination to buyer system 120 (Step 650). In some embodiments,dealer system 130 may not possess or have access to the car desired bybuyer system 120. In some embodiments, dealer system 130 may simplyterminate the process, and recommend other dealer systems 130 to buyersystem 120 for further consideration. In other embodiments, dealersystem 130 may recommend other cars within its own inventory database135 that may be attractive to buyer system 120 (e.g. similar price,similar options, similar mileage, different color, etc.). In theseembodiments, dealer system 130 may repeat Step 640 as discussed above todetermine approved financing costs and interest. The communicationexchange may occur instantaneously upon completion of the determination,or may occur at a later time. The communication may again occur throughthe previously configured financing website associated with dealersystem 130, or it may occur by telephone, electronic mail, SMS message,or postal mail. Once results are communicated, buyer system 120 anddealer system 130 may coordinate future steps in the purchasetransaction, such as a test drive and/or an appointment to execute asales agreement, as discussed above.

In some embodiments, the disclosed embodiments may further comprise thecapability to not only provide buyer system 120 with approval for a loanin advance of a purchase, but also coordinate payment for the purchase.FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary financing and payment process 700consistent with certain disclosed embodiments. Process 700, as well asany or all of the individual steps therein, may be performed by any oneor more of financial service system 110 or dealer system 130. Forexemplary purposes, FIG. 7 is disclosed as being performed by financialservice system 110.

Similar to the processes described previously, financial service system110 may configure a financing website for purposes of providing approvedfinancing in advance of a purchase to a buyer system 120 (Step 710).Financial service system 110 may further perform a buyer qualificationprocess, such as process 200 described above (Step 720). Additionally,financial service system 110 may perform a specific item approvalprocess to provide buyer system 120 with financing information about aspecific desired automobile, such as process 300 described above (Step730). The item approval process may include a dealer matching process,such as process 400 described above. As disclosed, financial servicesystem 110 may provide information relating to one or more dealersystems 130 to buyer system 120, and buyer system 120 may select aparticular dealership to visit. Buyer system 120 may provide an approvalcode to the selected dealer system 130, or financial service system 110may forward the code to system 130 along with a link to the approvedfinancing information.

In some embodiments, financial service system 110 may determine whetherto add so-called “backend” features to the loan (Step 750). Thesefeatures may be additional products or services offered by dealer system130, and may include warranties, maintenance contracts, additionaloptions or features, gap auto insurance coverage, or any othervalue-added benefit for dealer system 130. In some embodiments,financial service system 110 may partner with dealer system 130 to offerthe backend features to the user via the financing website. In someembodiments, financial service system 110 may build room into the loanapproved for buyer system 120 to accommodate certain backend features,and may provide a guarantee of a certain amount of purchased features todealer system 130. Using the mobile link to the financing websiteprovided by financial service system 110, buyer system 120 may decide toadd one or more backend features to their loan (Step 740: YES), and mayutilize the mobile link to update the financing information andrecalculate specific parameters of the financing (Step 750). In someembodiments, buyer system 120 may decline to add additional backendfeatures, and the loan may remain with the same parameters as were setduring the advanced approval process (Step 740: NO) and proceed to Step760.

Financial service system 110 may configure payment for the purchase madeby buyer system 120 (Step 760). In the processes described previously,such as dealer sales agreement 500, the loan may be processed and paidusing conventional offline methods known in the art. In Step 760,financial service system 110 may utilize the configured features of thedigital financing website to also configure easy, directpayments—providing security and convenience to both buyer system 120 anddealer system 130. In these embodiments, financial service system 110may receive a notification via the financing website that buyer system120 and dealer system 130 agree to use the direct pay option. Financialservice system 110 may configure a payment to dealer system 130 in theamount of the approved financing, and may concurrently configure apayment account for buyer system 120. In some embodiments, financialservice system 110 may configure a new account for buyer system 120, orif buyer system 120 already has a financial service account with system110, the car payment may be linked to that existing account. In someembodiments, financial service system 110 may additionally configure anautomatic debit to withdraw the loan payment at the end of each paymentperiod from one or more financial service accounts configured for buyersystem 120.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary user interface that may be provided by thedisclosed embodiments to facilitate submission of buyer information. Forexample, as described above in association with Step 220 of buyerqualification process 200, financial service system 110 may configure afinancing website to receive prospective buyer information from buyersystem 120. Aspects of the disclosed embodiments include softwareprocesses that, when executed by processors 111 and 121, generate andprovide the content, questions, solicitations, etc. included in the userinterface provided to buyer system 120 to upload, receive, and processthe information. Aspects of the disclosed embodiments may allow thecustomer to upload the requested documents, such as government-issuedidentification, proof of income via pay stubs or bank statements, etc.in any suitable electronic format, including, for example, JPEGs, GIFs,PDFs, spreadsheets, or text files. The user interface of FIG. 8 isexemplary and not limiting to the aspects of the disclosed embodiments.Other formats, types of content, queries, mechanisms for uploading, etc.can be implemented to allow financial service system 110 to receive andprocess buyer information from buyer system 120.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary user interface that may be provided by thedisclosed embodiments to facilitate submission of specific iteminformation. For example, as described above in association withspecific item approval process 300, financial service system 110 mayconfigure a financing website to receive information from buyer system120 relating to the specific item desired to be purchased, such asspecific automobile or type of automobile. Aspects of the disclosedembodiments include software processes that, when executed by processors111 and 121, generate and provide the content, questions, solicitations,etc. included in the user interface provided to buyer system 120 toreceive, and process the information. Queries presented to the customermay include, but are not limited to, whether the vehicle is new or used,the year, make, and model of the vehicle, and optional items such astrim patterns, accessories, etc. Aspects of the disclosed embodimentsmay allow buyer system 120 to select answers to the various queriespresented. In some embodiments, buyer system 120 may select desiredanswers from drop-down menus, as shown in FIG. 9. In other embodiments,the prospective buyer may be able to type in answers to the queriesusing an interface (touchscreen, keyboard, or other suitable inputdevice) associated with buyer system 120. The user interface of FIG. 9is exemplary and not limiting to the aspects of the disclosedembodiments. Other formats, types of content, queries, mechanisms foruploading, etc. can be implemented to allow financial service system 110to receive and process specific desired item information from buyersystem 120.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary user interface that may be provided by thedisclosed embodiments to facilitate communication of approval for aspecific item. For example, as described above in association withspecific item approval process 300, financial service system 110 maydetermine the extent to which an approved buyer, such as the prospectivebuyer associated with buyer system 120, can apply their advance-approvedloan to a specific automobile. Aspects of the disclosed embodimentsinclude software processes that, when executed by processors 111 and121, generate and provide the content, questions, solicitations, etc.included in the user interface provided to buyer system 120 to generate,present, receive, and process the information. In addition to presentinginformation to buyer system 120, additional queries may be presented toprovide further customization and control of the loan. Queries presentedto the customer may include, but are not limited to, the desired lengthof the loan, whether or not a warranty will be purchased, whetheradditional features will be added, etc. Aspects of the disclosedembodiments may allow buyer system 120 to select answers to the variousqueries presented. In some embodiments, buyer system 120 may selectdesired answers from drop-down menus, as shown in FIG. 10. In otherembodiments, the prospective buyer may be able to type in answers to thequeries using an interface (touchscreen, keyboard, or other suitableinput device) associated with buyer system 120. The user interface ofFIG. 10 is exemplary and not limiting to the aspects of the disclosedembodiments. Other formats, types of content, queries, mechanisms foruploading, etc. can be implemented to allow financial service system 110to transmit and receive information to and from buyer system 120.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary user interface that may be provided by thedisclosed embodiments to provide information about participatingdealers. For example, as described above in association with dealermatching process 400, financial service system 110 may determineparticipating dealer systems 130 that have the specific desired item intheir inventory. Financial service system 110 may then communicate thematching dealer systems 130 to buyer system 120. Aspects of thedisclosed embodiments include software processes that, when executed byprocessors 111 and 121, generate and provide the content included in theuser interface provided to buyer system 120. In addition to presentingtextual information in list form to buyer system 120, the user interfacemay contain additional visual representations of dealer systems 130,such as a map. Aspects of the disclosed embodiments include softwareprocesses that, when executed by processors 111 and 121, generate theinformation relating to map elements, and visually display them to buyersystem 120. The user interface of FIG. 11 is exemplary and not limitingto the aspects of the disclosed embodiments. Other formats, types ofcontent, queries, mechanisms for uploading, etc. can be implemented toallow financial service system 110 to transmit information relating todealer systems 130 to buyer system 120.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary user interface that may be provided by thedisclosed embodiments to provide summary information about the financingprocess. For example, as described above in association with processes300 and 400, financial service system 110 may gather buyer informationfrom buyer system 120, receive and process further information about aspecific car desired, and match buyer system 120 with potential dealersystems 130. Aspects of the disclosed embodiments include softwareprocesses that, when executed by processors 111 and 121, generate andprovide the content included in the user interface provided to buyersystem 120. In addition to presenting textual information in list formto buyer system 120, the user interface may contain additional visualrepresentations such as a map. Aspects of the disclosed embodimentsinclude software processes that, when executed by processors 111 and121, generate further potential functionalities, such as setting anappointment with dealer system 130, coordinating a test drive, gettingdirections, and getting copies of information relating to the approvedfinancing. Importantly, the user interface of FIG. 12 may also providebuyer system 120 with a link to the summary information that can beaccessed and edited on mobile devices, such as smartphones, tablets, orportable computer systems. In these embodiments, buyer system 120retains full control of the financing, and can make changes to theirloan terms while negotiating face-to-face with dealer systems 130. Theuser interface of FIG. 12 is exemplary and not limiting to the aspectsof the disclosed embodiments. Other formats, types of content, queries,mechanisms for uploading, etc. can be implemented to allow financialservice system 110 to transmit summary information to buyer system 120.

Other features and functionalities of the described embodiments arepossible. For example, the processes of FIGS. 2-7 are not limited to thesequences described above. Variations of these sequences, such as theremoval and/or the addition of other process steps may be implementedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosedembodiments.

Additionally, the disclosed embodiments may be applied to differenttypes of sales. Any financial service institution that provides loanaccounts to customers may employ systems, methods, and articles ofmanufacture consistent with certain principles related to the disclosedembodiments. In addition, any buyer or seller of an item in a privatetransaction may also employ systems, methods, and articles ofmanufacture consistent with certain disclosed embodiments.

Furthermore, although aspects of the disclosed embodiments are describedas being associated with data stored in memory and other tangiblecomputer-readable storage mediums, one skilled in the art willappreciate that these aspects can also be stored on and executed frommany types of tangible computer-readable media, such as secondarystorage devices, like hard disks, floppy disks, or CD-ROM, or otherforms of RAM or ROM. Accordingly, the disclosed embodiments are notlimited to the above described examples, but are instead defined by theappended claims in light of their full scope of equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for providing an interface for a mobiledevice to update financing terms for a loan and configured to purchase avehicle, the method comprising: providing, to a mobile device, userinterface instructions for displaying an interface on the mobile devicefor a buyer to purchase a vehicle; receiving, via the interface of themobile device, a search request including information relating to aclass of vehicles that the buyer seeks to purchase; determining, from aninventory of one or more dealer systems, that one or more dealers has avehicle relating to the search request in inventory; providing, via theinterface of the mobile device, information identifying the one or moredealers and each respective vehicle; receiving, via the interface of themobile device, a selection from the buyer from the provided informationof the one or more dealers; transmitting a notice to a dealer systemassociated with the selected dealer that the buyer selected therespective vehicle and the respective dealer, whereby the notice furtherincludes a set of prequalification loan terms for the buyer; receiving anotification that at least one prequalification loan term for the buyerchanged; providing, to the buyer in response to the notification and viathe interface of the mobile device, an access link that when selectedprovides remote access to a graphical user interface that comprises atleast one indication of at least one changed prequalification loan term;in response to the access link being accessed, receiving, via theinterface of the mobile device, a request to approve or alter one ormore changed prequalification loan terms; determining updated financinginformation, based on the one or more altered terms received via theinterface of the mobile device; associating an approval code with theupdated financing information; and communicating the updated financinginformation to the dealer system of the selected dealer by providing theapproval code and a link for accessing the interface identifying the atleast one changed prequalification loan term.
 2. The method of claim 1,further comprising: receiving a new notification that the vehicle hasbeen purchased with the set of prequalification loan terms; andreceiving instructions to initiate payment for the purchased vehicle. 3.The method of claim 1, further comprising adding at least one of awarranty, a maintenance contract, an additional option, or gap insurancecoverage to the set of prequalification loan terms.
 4. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the search request further comprises analyzing, via theinterface of the mobile device, a prequalification determination by:receiving, via the interface of the mobile device, an indication thatthe buyer seeks to secure approved loan financing to purchase thevehicle in advance of the purchase; receiving, via the interface of themobile device, personal information associated with the buyer;performing a risk assessment of the buyer based on the received personalinformation; and providing, via the interface of the mobile device,qualification information to the buyer based on the risk assessment,wherein the qualification information comprises at least an amount of anapproved loan and an interest rate for the updated financinginformation.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the received personalinformation comprises an electronic document uploaded via the interfaceof the mobile device, the electronic document providing anidentification of the buyer, proof of income, contact information, orreferences.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the approval code is areference number for the approved loan.
 7. The method of claim 4,wherein communicating the updated financing information to the dealersystem of the selected dealer further comprises communicating thequalification information to the dealer system of the selected dealer.8. The method of claim 4, further comprising: receiving a request fromthe dealer system to confirm the personal information associated withthe buyer; and sending a response to the dealer system confirming thepersonal information associated with the buyer.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the request from the dealer system further comprises arequest to compare at least one of a name, an address, a social securitynumber, or a government-issued identification provided by the buyer andstored by the dealer system with the received personal information. 10.The method of claim 1, wherein the received information relating to theclass of vehicles the buyer seeks to purchase comprises at least one ofa vehicle identification number (VIN), a make of the vehicle, a model ofthe vehicle, an age of the vehicle, a feature of the vehicle, or whetherthe vehicle is new or used.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the setof prequalification loan terms further comprises at least one of anestimated monthly payment amount or an interest rate for an approvedloan.
 12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: identifying alocation on a map of possible dealers via the interface of the mobiledevice; providing user ratings and reviews associated with each dealerin the inventory; and providing an incentive offer associated with eachdealer in the inventory.
 13. The method of claim 1, further comprisingproviding, via the interface of the mobile device, an alternative classof vehicles based on the search request.
 14. The method of claim 1,further comprising displaying, via the interface of the mobile device,an offer related to the selected vehicle, the offer comprising at leastone of a warranty, a maintenance contract, an additional option, or gapinsurance coverage to the approved loan.
 15. The method of claim 1,further comprising prompting the buyer, via the interface of the mobiledevice, to configure a payment account for making monthly payments. 16.The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a payment accountassociated with the buyer for making monthly payments on the loan. 17.The method of claim 1, further comprising providing via the interface ofthe mobile device, a link to a website of each dealer in the inventoryof the one or more dealers.
 18. A non-transitory computer-readablemedium for storing instructions that, when executed by one or moreprocessors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations forproviding an interface on a mobile device to update financing terms fora loan to purchase a vehicle, the operations comprising: providing, to amobile device, user interface instructions for displaying an interfaceon the mobile device for a buyer to purchase a vehicle; receiving, viathe interface of the mobile device, a search request includinginformation relating to a class of vehicles that the buyer seeks topurchase; determining, from one or more dealer systems, that one or moredealers has a vehicle relating to the search request in inventory;providing, via the interface of the mobile device, informationidentifying the one or more dealers and each respective vehicle;receiving, via the interface of the mobile device, a selection from thebuyer from the provided information of one or more dealers; transmittinga notice to a dealer system associated with the selected dealer that thebuyer selected the respective vehicle and the respective dealer, wherebythe notice further includes a set of prequalification loan terms for thebuyer; receiving a notification that at least one prequalification loanterm for the buyer changed; providing, to the buyer in response to thenotification and via the interface of the mobile device, an access linkthat when selected provides remote access to a graphical user interfacethat comprises at least one indication of at least one changedprequalification loan term; in response to the access link beingaccessed, receiving, via the interface of the mobile device, a requestto approve or alter one or more of changed the prequalification loanterms; determining updated financing information, based on the one ormore altered terms received via the interface of the mobile device;associating an approval code with the updated financing information; andcommunicating the updated financing information to the dealer system ofthe selected dealer by providing the approval code and a link foraccessing the interface identifying the at least one changedprequalification loan term.